Plastic-block-forming machine



July 16, 1927. v gm PLASTIC BLOCK FORIING MACHINE Filed OGLZO, 1925 2Shook-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

Flei z awzajr. .smzu/ l Patented July 19, 1927.

U N I TED. S TTA TEiSZ emits O FI- CHARLES KL SMITH} 01E FORT ATKINSON}!IOWA.

' PLABTIC-BIJOUE-FORHINQ Imam: I

Application; flledz October 20, .1935; Serial: no. 68353:)

This: invention relates: to newand; useful:

improvements in plastic block iformin'ga'ma chines.

The primary object of the invention isto provide-a machine.- especially;adapted fore forming from plastic material, such as ce-:

ment or concrete, blocks suitable for use in -1 erecting building Wa1ls,or the-like,-

.A-. furtherfobject of the invention is to provide a novel form of coreand corermovee mentvforthe-above referred totype of machine;

And a'still further object of the invention is to: provide anovel'typeof buildingublocki. Other objects and: advantages ofiflthe ina ventionwill be apparent during; the 1 course ofi the following:description;

In the accompanying drawings forming; a partiof this specification and.in which like numerals are employed to designate like;

- parts throughoutthe same;

tached from; its hinges and with the end: walls 1 swung into a openposition Figure 4 is a" topplanvview ofthe mold-- ingvmachine,

Figure-5 is a fragmentary vertical; see tional=view of the machine,

Figureitl is a detail perspective View of the core shown in its loweredpositiom.

Figure 7 is atop plan view of the-novel form of building block producedby this 1 machine,

Figure 8 is an end elevational view of the block, and a 'Figure 9 is aperspective view of the said block i In. the drawings, whereinforthepurpose of illustration is shown a preferred: em. ,bodiment of thisinvention; the' numeral 5 designates'in its entirety; the stand'portionof the machine which I is suitably reinforced by transverse tend brace:membersfi and. has

Figure 2 is an end elevationa-l:viewofthe mounted side wall ofthemolding box (16-:

mounted: uponeits upper endithe bottom: or

base 7 of am0ldbox1 The rear wal1-8 of this mold box' iserigidlyconnected tovone longi: tudinaLedge-ot thebase 7 and has-hingedlyiconnected thereto :the end walls 1 9 which are providedr with the:verticallyextending,

parallel core guides-i IO as best; illustrated o inlFigs.x3-and 4, Thefrontvwallllof the moldboxiis formed with laterally and downwardly:depending .apertured ears 12 which arerpivotedlon the: hinge 'pintle'13. fastened at its ends-t0 the :plates 14. carried-by the up perportion ofrstheibase 5. This front wall 11 is roughenedon its inneriface 1 for forming; a block! with. anrornamental outer face. The innerfaces of the remaining; walls 8 and 9h-are-smooth.--.: It is vto beunderstood, however; that-thednnen face=15 ofthe front wall llamayrbesmooth if desired and building; blockss formed by the same will thenhave allfvof their: faces-- of the smooth sur-' face type. Figure4:;clearly shows the front wallflll ashaving-the edgeflangesilfi againstwhich .theifree vertical edges ofethe end walls 9 bear for retaining theend walls against outward'wswinging, movement; on

theirahinges "17'. Figs: 1, 2 and 4b clearly showthelatehamembers 18 asbeing-pivotal;-

1y; conneeted itothe end edges. of the rear wall 8 andas zfundzioning:to. engage the .pins; l9v carriedrby thei end edgesgofi the hinged frontwall 11:"f01i .locking this, wallin its closed position;

Figs. 3' 'toz5 incluSive shoW theloaseT of theamoldbox ashavinga:longitudinally exe tending; slot 20 formed therein iin verticalalinementwith; the grooves formed by the core. "guides 10': carried by;the mend walls 9. Dependingafrom the-.:base 7; and fastened to theendsaof the stand 5 are, metallic channel members 2l1which act asguides-ton the'aopposite endsof the core-22 when-the latter is arranged:in. its: loweredaposition exterior-1y of the mold=boxu Thiscore- 221ha-sits lower edge bolted ttoarectangular n-ame which has iprojeetionsiatitssloweri-edge; designated by the reference characters -24, sli'dablyarranged in thew perpendicularly extending slots 25 formed in the-channel: members 21; These" ends 2441513 8 laterallypivotallyconnected: thereto the. core actuatinghandles 26.

These handles are employed for raising and lowering the core 22 inrespect to the interior of the mold box. The various iigures clearlyillustrate the core as being provided with transverse cuts 27 whichextend from the top edge of the core 22 downwardly to points spacedinwardly from the bottom edge of the core.

To prepare the machine for forming ablock from plastic material, the endwalls 9 are arranged in the position illustrated in Figs. 2 and l. Thefront wall 11 is then moved into the position illustrated in Figs. 1, land 5 with the free edges of the end walls 10 engaging the end flanges16 of the front wall 11. The latch members 18 are then arranged toengage the laterally projecting pins 19 for locking" the front wall 11and end walls 9 in their closed positions. It is to be understood thatthe core 22 up until this time has been arranged in its loweredposition, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. The handgrips 26" of the handles 26 are then grasped by the operator of themachine and the core 22 is elevated into the position illustrated inFig. 5 with the top edge of the core alincd with the top edges of thevarous walls of the box. Figs. 2 and 6 clearly illustrate the operatinghandles 26- as having lateral notches 28 formed therein. After the core22 has been moved into the mold box, the operating handles 26 arepivoted laterally on their pivot pins 29 for causing the notches 28 toengage the edges of the end boards 30,.

which are carried by the space 7. The engaging of these notches,with'the end boards 30 will hold the core 22 in its raised position. v

The plastic material employed for forming the type of blocks illustratedin Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive is then gradually placed in the assembled moldbox and after enough of the material is arranged in thebott-om of thebox and tamped to a level registering with the bottom ends 2' of thecuts 27 in the core 22, the lower tie rods 31 are placed in p the boxand upon the lowerends 27 oft-he said cuts 27. Additional plasticmaterial is then placed in the mold box and tamped down until thematerial reaches a suitable depth for positioning the upper tie rods 31thereupon. These upper tie rods are then arranged in the cuts 27 and theremainder of the material is placed in the box and tamped down. Toremove the molded blocks from the forming machine, the core operatinghandles 26 are pivoted to disengage their latch notches 28 from theboards 30 and then the core 22 is lowered into the channel members 21.This lowering or downward movement of the core 22 is considered asconstituting amaterial improvement in the art as any pull upon thematerial produced by the movement of the core awayfrom the same will beprevented from tearing the material due to the fact that the latter issupported by the base 7 of the mold box against the pulling force of thecore 22.

After the core has been lowered to its inoperative position, the latchmembers 18 may be disconnected from the pins 19 and the front wall 11will then be free to be swung, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 5,into a position away from the front face of the building block. The endWalls 9 may then be pivoted on their hinges 17 and the block removed.

Figures 7 to 9 inclusive clearly illustrate the novel form of buildingblock produced by this machine. sections 32 which are of substantially eual size and are retained in spaced paralle ism by the tie rods 31 whichare embedded at their ends in the material forming the parts 32. As hasbeen previously described, the front face 33 of the block may be formedwith an ornamental surface or with a plain surface. 7

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shownand described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, andthat various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. A machine of the classdescribed com prising a stand, a mold box mounted thereon, a corevertically movable through the This block includes the bottom of saidbox adapted when'raised therein to divide said box into two independentcompartments and provided with a plurality of transverse slots forreceiving tie rods, lifting handles connected to the ends of the coreand arranged outwardly of the ends of the mold box, means to releasablyretain the core in raised position, and a carrier upon which the core ismounted having end extensions to which said handles are pivoted at theirlower ends for lateral swinging movement, said core retainin meansembodying members fixed to the ends of the stand and engageable by thehandles when swung laterally after the core is raised.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a stand, a mold boxmounted thereon, a core vertically movable through the bottom of saidbox adapted when raised therein to divide said box into two independentcompartments and provided with a plurality of transverse slots forreceiving tie rods, lifting handles connected to the ends of the coreand arranged outwardly of the ends of the mold box, means to releasablyretain the core in raised position, a carrier upon which the core ismounted having end extensions 1,aae,25s a lower ends for lateralswinging movement, guide the core when lowered, said guides said coreretaining means embodying memhaving longitudinal elongated slots outbersfixed to the ends of the stand and enwardly through which the endcarrier extengageable by the handles when swung latersions project andare vertically movable.

5 ally after the core is raised, and channel In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature.

guides for the ends of the core fixed to the ends of the stand beneaththe mold box to CHARLES K. SMITH.

